Gymnasts Leyva, Orozco earn tickets to London

Rest of team will be announced Sunday

Illinois' Ruggeri, Maestas finish 6th, 7th

June 30, 2012|By Diane Pucin, Tribune Newspapers

John Orozco and Danell Leyva celebrate after being named to the men's Olympic team. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Photo)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Danell Leyva, the demonstrative 20-year-old Cuban immigrant whose stepfather and mother coach him and coax him and celebrate with him in equal measures, won the U.S. Olympic trials Saturday as well as a guaranteed berth on the five-man team that will go to London.

John Orozco, a 19-year-old from the Bronx, finished second and also earned a guaranteed berth.

Leyva, who scored 368.350 over four rounds of competition at U.S. nationals in St. Louis three weeks ago and Thursday and Saturday here, was bouncing and dancing and waving and screaming as he was introduced as an Olympian while the U.S. national anthem played and the crowd of 10,516 at the HP Pavilion stood and cheered.

Orozco, who finished with 367.400, was in tears as he was introduced as an Olympian.

"I can't really believe it," he said.

The other three members of the five-man team plus the alternates, will be named Sunday.

David Sender of Arlington Heights, who never made it to Olympic trials in 2008 after hurting an ankle during warm-ups at nationals and whose petition to compete at the trials was denied even though he had been a national champion, finished what he started this time.

Sender, 26, who is in veterinary school at Illinois, said he almost didn't have enough energy to finish his final routine, on the rings. He finished 14th of the 15 competitors at the trials, ahead of only the injured Sam Mikulak, 19, of Newport Coast, Calif.

"I'm old," Sender said. "And I'm exhausted. But I did it and I'm happy about that."

A pair of University of Illinois-trained competitors, Paul Ruggeri and C.J. Maestas, finished sixth and seventh, respectively, after the four rounds of nationals and trials.

"Not the perfect place to be," Ruggeri said. "If I could talk to the selection committee, I'd like to tell them that I've always tried to make my gymnastics elegant and stylish in a way that is appreciated around the world."

Leyva and Orozco had been exchanging spots at the top starting in St. Louis and Orozco had taken the lead after the vault, the fourth of Saturday's six rotations.

But on the final event, where both competed on the parallel bars, Orozco said his left hand got stuck on the equipment and he hurt a ligament between his left thumb and finger.

"I don't know how I got through the whole thing," Orozco said. He did wobble and labor and scored only a 14.350.

Leyva's routine wasn't perfect either. He said he had to improvise after almost missing a skill early.

"It was like being a kid and just making it up as I went along," Leyva said.

But his mark of 15.850 was enough to put him on top.

"I don't even know how to describe the feeling," Leyva said. "Maybe it will set in later."

The other competitors will have to endure a long Saturday night. The men's selection committee expects to announce the rest of the Olympians and up to three alternates Sunday.

Jonathan Horton, who is third overall and who was a 2008 Olympian, said he'll have a nervous night.

"Nothing is for granted," said Horton who was furious with himself for stepping out of bounds on his final floor exercise.

Both Chris Brooks and Jake Dalton, who are tied for fourth overall, said sleep on Saturday would be difficult.